Baked Apple Cider Donuts

5 from 13 votes

These baked apple cider donuts are soft, cake-like donuts made with apple cider, warm spices, and a sweet cinnamon-sugar coating. Baked instead of fried, they’re an easy fall treat that’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon snack.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: donuts

Author: Katie G.

Ingredients

For the donuts:

2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup apple cider (see notes for optional reduced cider version)
¼ cup milk
2 eggs beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted

Cinnamon-sugar topping:

¼ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Instructions

To make the donuts:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray donut pan with cooking spray.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl. Add cider, milk, eggs, vanilla and melted butter. Mix until well blended.
Fill each donut cup about ¾ full (I use a pastry bag with the end snipped to do it neatly.) Bake for 10 minutes until donuts spring back when touched. Allow to cool slightly before removing from pan.

To make the cinnamon-sugar topping:

Mix together sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl until well combined. Brush each donut with melted butter then toss in cinnamon-sugar mixture until evenly coated.

Notes

For a stronger apple flavor, simmer 1½ to 2 cups of apple cider until reduced to ½ cup. Let it cool completely before adding it to the batter.
Avoid overmixing the batter. Stir just until the ingredients are combined to keep the donuts soft and tender.
Fill the donut cavities about three-quarters full to help maintain the classic donut shape.
Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Freezing: Freeze uncoated donuts for up to 3 months. Thaw, then brush with melted butter and coat with cinnamon sugar before serving.

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